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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Gov. Jim Justice began his remarks Wednesday at the West Virginia South Summit for Educational Excellence by reminding attendees about his first State of the State address after taking office in 2017.

“I really, truly mean what I said from the very first State of the State when I said that what we should do is make education our centerpiece,” he said.

West Virginia is one of two states whose population declined in the last decade, and the rate of population loss is faster than any other state in the nation, according to a recent study by Pew Charitable Trusts.

Since 2007, West Virginia has lost about 18,000 residents - approximately 0.1 percent of the total population each year. Michigan was the only other state that recorded...

With 21 statewide public hearings completed, the PEIA Task Force on Wednesday got down to the daunting task of coming up with plans for comprehensive reform of the health insurance plan that covers more than 200,000 West Virginians, in what its members admit might be an impossibly short timeline.

Gov. Jim Justice announced Monday that he will ask the PEIA Finance Board to raise the health insurance plan’s 10 salary-based premium tiers by $2,700 per tier, so that 5 percent pay raises for teachers, school service personnel and other state employees that go into effect July 1 will not result in premium hikes for those workers...